Joe Allen: Liverpool sign Swansea's Wales midfielder

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Joe Allen

Liverpool have completed the signing of Swansea's Wales international midfielder Joe Allen.

Allen, 22, was at Anfield on Thursday as Liverpool beat FC Gomel 3-0 and passed a medical on Friday.

He becomes Brendan Rodgers's second signing after the capture of Italy international striker Fabio Borini.

"I feel incredible. Everyone knows the history of this club, it's a massive club, and I'm delighted to have joined," he told the club's website.external-link

"The passion that people here have for football is something I share and I want to be part of that.

"I'm looking forward to being part of some great years ahead for Liverpool."

Rodgers believes Allen will play a key role in helping him impose his style of play on the Liverpool team.

Allen was crucial to Rodgers's system at Swansea and expects the Welshman to do a similar job at Anfield.

"I'm absolutely delighted that Joe has made the decision to come with us on this journey," Rodgers said.

"Joe is a player whose profile will fit perfectly with the ideas of this group. His ability to control and dominate the ball is an important ingredient in our attempt to gain success on the field.

"Joe has had a fantastic education at Swansea City and will now begin the next chapter in his exciting career."

The two clubs opened negotiations over a deal for Allen last month, but the Anfield club's opening bid was rejected.

Rodgers offered about £12m plus fellow midfielder Jonjo Shelvey on loan, but that deal was turned down by Swansea chairman Hugh Jenkins.

Although the new Liverpool manager has a written agreement with Swansea not to return to his former club to try to sign any of their players for the next 12 months, the Welsh club can waive that clause if a deal is deemed to be in the best interests of the club.

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413 comments

  • Comment posted by Andyev, at 20:32 10 Aug 2012

    As a Swansea City season ticket holder, I welcome this news, not because I wanted to lose Joe but now we can spend some decent money on replacements. I do however think that a price tag of 15 million is excessive for a player who is good but who in my opinion has a long way to go to be that valuable. On the other hand I do think Borini is excellent value and worth far more than the 10 million paid

  • Comment posted by U15384162, at 21:51 10 Aug 2012

    Joe allen had a pass completion rate of 91% last season....fluke?????

  • Comment posted by U15384094, at 21:09 10 Aug 2012

    As a Swansea season ticket holder I just want to say Allens strengths cause some people here haven't ever seen him play. He's good at short 1/2 touch passing, good awareness and therefore rarely getting caught on the ball, his low center of gravity allows him to get a foot in defensively, but dont expect killer through balls and loads of goals/assists thats not his game, controlling the play is

  • Comment posted by U15381843, at 02:28 11 Aug 2012

    This guy is quality. He has enormous potential. Good signing. YNWA

  • Comment posted by U14971421, at 13:29 11 Aug 2012

    247.
    luissaurezisamazing

    If you can exaggerate prices, so can I

    You mock everton, but you fail to acknowledge that lfc have spent very heavily for 4 decades and everton haven't

    Liverpool are the 3rd highest spenders in the last 20 years so their team should be worth more than everton's

  • Comment posted by U14971421, at 12:51 11 Aug 2012

    232.
    luissaurezisamazing


    Downing must have something about him if he has been signed for 11 and 20 million and has 40 caps for England. He has a bad year - like almost all of our team.

    ___________

    Downing is overrated at £11mil. His career goals are abysmal (1 in 9/10). He doesn't have 40 england caps and he didn't just have a bad year: he is rubbish!

  • Comment posted by U13941884, at 12:42 11 Aug 2012

    ctd 227

    Is it also just coincidence that only this week Standard Charter have been accused by the US government of money laundering. Given the excess sponsorship deal with can this all just be coincidence?

  • Comment posted by KneeBiter, at 12:34 11 Aug 2012

    #222 come on at least be resonable, i mean like centre backs you could argue either way, but Enrique equal to Banies? but what really made me laught was Stuart(no goals, no assists) Downing over Pienaar ha! 2 points about Cahill, first is that hes in America and sencond I have never classed him as one of our better player, good when he scored goals but hes hasnt done that in 2 years.

  • Comment posted by KneeBiter, at 12:18 11 Aug 2012

    #216 "I would go as far as to say if we sold Suarez we could buy your whole first 11."

    With valuations like that I think you could work on the liverpool board, are you sure your names not John Henry? FYI there would only be four liverpool player I would have at Everton (Riena, Johnson, Gerrard for a year or 2 and Saurez if you only class it on ability)

  • Comment posted by U15384611, at 10:20 11 Aug 2012

    #186 I wont be booing him at liberty. He's done wonders for this club. He has enabled us to compete with the best in the country. We are in fact the 11th best club in the country. He has given us 22mil in the last few months for Allen and his move to the reds. he has created a style of play and a confidence within the club that is so hard to find. Rodgers made Swansea, I don't begrudge his move.

  • Comment posted by masterEccles, at 02:02 11 Aug 2012

    Just been reading the comments, I'm not a Liverpool supporter but I think that they've made a good signing in Joe Allen and a shrewd appointment in Brendan Rodgers.

  • Comment posted by U15316837, at 22:40 10 Aug 2012

    hope both Rodgers and Allen do well at Liverpool, I was a big fan of Swansea's style of play last season!

    http://clsoccer.com/

  • Comment posted by U14335165, at 21:57 10 Aug 2012

    So many critical of Rodgers and Liverpool before the PL has even started, does my head in. Of course LFC won't finish as low as 8th next season.
    ---
    why not? What have they improved to make you think they are going to get any better? They may improve on 8th (may) but they certainly won't crack the top 4. Shame cos I like Pool as a club and the majority of their fans deserve better

  • Comment posted by The JDogg, at 21:48 11 Aug 2012

    Joe Allen will form an excellent midfield partnership with Lucas as the two controlling midfielders who will be utilizied to carry the ball out of defence, dominate possession and be highly penetrative on the oppostion with interceptions and tackles. He is a pass master with a 91% successful pass rate last season and came third with most tackles. At 22, he will develop to be a top, top player.

  • Comment posted by KneeBiter, at 15:21 11 Aug 2012

    luis you named 2 of our first team in pienaar and howard, then it would be neville or hibbert at RB which is our weakest position, none of whom are players we would sell.

    Kuyt was a good servant for you, bellamy did a good job when fit. Maxi I actually quite like but because of KD he spent too much time on the bench.

  • Comment posted by MrBrightside, at 10:41 11 Aug 2012

    184.
    TonyHibbertStartsRiots

    You think finishing above Everton will be a massive achievement? Don't make me laugh. You only finished above us last year as we were still in the FA cup - maybe if you had anything left to play for at the end of the season you would take your eye off the league.

    As for your CL comment, you couldn't even get past qualifying on the 1 time you qualified. Priceless.

  • Comment posted by Freddie Roach Ate My Hamster, at 10:35 11 Aug 2012

    Liverpool have signed a player with as much potential as Jack Wilshere. That will seem preposterous to people who haven't watched much of him but even though £15 on potential is steep, it could pay off & be a bargain.

    I'm not surprised that BR hasn't honoured the agreement with Swansea. He's very ambitious & all of the biggest clubs always act this way towards the smaller clubs.

  • Comment posted by Andylfcynwa, at 01:28 11 Aug 2012

    I think people are being far too critical of Joe Allen and the £15mil fee. It's been said UK players are not upto it but if not given a chance how would we know. Adam, Henderson, Carroll all flopped last year but Carroll rediscovered his form at end of season.
    Allen has passing % of 91% and that is no fluke. Liverpool only needed a goal scoring forward last yr and they would have been top 4!!

  • Comment posted by magicjacks, at 23:51 10 Aug 2012

    Gutted to be losing Joe - I think Liverpool have overpaid in a sense. He's worth £15M to Swansea and worth £15M to Liverpool at the moment to get the team playing in the style that Brendan wants. In Borini and Allen, Liverpool have made two classy signings, players that can deliver now and for years to come.

  • Comment posted by GeorgeAvery, at 22:37 10 Aug 2012

    61. crantonius said: Since when did having a good season for Swansea qualify for a £15 million price tag?

    That's what he's worth to the Swans - probably more, we'll never know now. 12 mil was initially offered but rejected and 'Pool came back with an offer of 15 so it's a seller's market in this case

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